I wrote this from a hospital bed at 4am where I’m being held overnight for a broken pelvis - the delightful consequence of being taken out in the first session at Bedford today (yesterday?!). Was in the novice group (as I was riding with my brother and his friend who’d not been on track before), cleared the pack after the sighting laps to get some clear air, taking it nice at 6 or 7 tenths just to get the eye in. Only one of the people I’d gone past got a bit excited, thought he could keep up with me, turned out he couldn’t and massively overbraked himself - walloped into me as I was tipping into the left/right before the long left onto the back straight. I did some acrobatics before ending up on the tarmac and then the grass - he continued rocketing on eventually stopping - upright - 100 yards ahead of me on the grass. Whilst I have a trashed bike, trashed leathers, trashed helmet - and broken pelvis - he gets a small talking to from the MSV team (marshalls told me they’d seen him t-bone me, and they ‘could see it coming’) and is free to go out in the next session and continue his day. At no point in the day does he come find me - despite me being on crutches in the same paddock - I finally identify him (got whisked away by paramedics just after crash) at the end of the day and go have a chat. He says he’s ‘embarrassed’. No shit! And offers to help pay for some of the damage. Remains to be seen whether he actually will. I’m freelance and likely to lose income this week, my sector been hammered by pandemic so this is the first work I’d have had in months. Didn’t mean to rant this long but I’m going to write a strong worded letter to MSV - they have a duty of care to protect the riders on track, which this kind of laxness does not do. My brother’s friend was taken out just after the restart from the red flag, albeit by a guy who stood their bike up and t boned him at the apex on a corner the other side of the track. In a world where briefings are given online the day before, and may or may not get watched - I believe MSV have a particular responsibility to manage the standard of riding on track - *especially* in the novice group, *especially* in the first session - where I *really* wouldn’t expect to get taken out like that. Anyway - advice... my (new recently) leathers are torn - how do people feel about repairs - and where would be recommended? How punitive are OE replacement parts for an RR6? Fortunately I have a replacement set of fairings, but need a new footpeg and clutch resevoir for starters, maybe gear shifter too.
Sorry to hear about your crash, gutted for you and get well soon. I've never done a track day, but thought you needed insurance to do so, especially on your own bike? Correct me if I'm wrong. No idea on leather repairs, so can't these also be claimed for? Marshalls witnessed the incident too. Chin
You can have insurance, but most don’t. If you’re regular then the cost mounts up and it becomes impractical.
I've not done a track day, but it's definitely on my bucket list for next year. And when I do, I'll definitely be taking out a policy. Not advocating, just something I will do. Agreed that regular tracking will be costly, so an added policy is a no brainer for me. Just me. GWS bruvs! Chin
This wasn’t the best day but I do recommend riding on track - it’s made me a much better and safer road rider. And I’d trade yesterday’s crash for *any* road crash.
That's properly unfortunate and credit to you for being so upbeat about it.... I was clipped (but didn't go down fortunately) last year at donington, first session, first lap after the sighting laps... part of the reason why I tend to try and go out at the back of the groups now, let all the dickheads and Rossi wannabe's bin it further away from me... I know insurance is pricey but like you I work for myself so broken bones may well mean a loss of earnings too so I'm seriously considering some kind of insurance next year, I only do 3 or 4 days a year but I'm sure I saw multi day polices when I last checked. Obviously if you do loads I can see how it would become super expensive... I can't really help with leathers but certainly the manufacturer might be worth a quick call\e-mail? if not I'm sure one of the UK based manufacturers could help you out? GWS and hope you also get the bike sorted asap...
Sorry to hear about that. Without the track insurance it will be coming out your wallet so whilst the decision is yours I personally wouldn't get more than a small patch repaired on leathers, they've done their job and they do it by taking damage so would be weaker afterwards. The parts you need shouldn't be too pricey. Check David Silvers to see if they have any NOS otherwise it's ebay watchlist time to find someone breaking a similar model. Time to get some track fairings?
The original fairings are now essentially track fairings - I’ve got another mint set in the loft so I can make the bike pretty again one day when her track days are over! This morning’s update - pumped up on morphine, codeine and everything else. FFS.
Sorry to hear you’ve been taken out like that and a broken pelvis is going to take some getting over. By the sound of it the bike is fixable without costing silly money, more a financial concern for the loss of income. Hope all is restored sooner rather than later. Have never done a track day myself and your experience is one of the main reasons for that (and for the fact that I’d be a liability for everyone else on track as I tootled round). I’ve watched a few and seen a few spills but if you enter the ring you accept the potential consequences. Road, track or supermarket car park. I think @Muffking had some leather repairs done but that was more related to riding style rubbing repair rather than down the road slides. All the same his repair guy may be able to advise/assist.
People don't believe me when I say the novice group is the most dangerous... and here's why. Hoping for a speedy recovery.
Damn, gutted for you. Such bad luck. Generally speaking, these days there is a general lack of courtesy from everyone (I include myself in that). Anyway, as has been said before me ebay is now your freind and of course @vic_ster51 on here regularly has bits for sale. I'm sure leathers can be sorted, a quick google will no doubt throw up a few choices - I reckon that they can be made as good as new by removing a whole panel as opposed to a small patch repair i.e. undoing the seams of where the tear is, removing the whole panel and replacing. Good luck with it all and feel better soon!
Thats a shocking one tbh. We're not racing out there, and should be careful. I've only been on track with the Ron Haslam school (which I loved, and will be missed!) and found it super safe. I think I would sit out the first session, or as others have said.. be at the back of the pack. But even still you can't be 100% certain. In terms of leathers.. I am sure they can be repaired by a tailor, and tbh I wouldn't have any issues with doing so. I'd be confident to use them again. I don't know of any companies though.
Regarding insurance again, I know many people seem to hate them and\or have bad experiences with them but MCE offer free trackday insurance with their policies, I used them for about 3 years for this reason and only changed as now have a multi-bike policy which was much cheaper elsewhere... there are T's & C's and I think (IIRC) the limit was 4 or 5k (or soemthing like that)... might be worth a look??
Firstly, sorry to hear about your injuries, hopefully you will mend ASAP. May sound brutal in the circumstances but you pay yer money and take your chances on tracks with people you have no idea about their skill level and or appetite for risk. It’s a novice group for a reason and the ability will vary across the spectrum, then again I’ve had an experienced twat take me out in fast groups before. That said, it’s not acceptable for a complete dickhead to ride like a knut just because he’s on track, but proving he was reckless is very very hard, and the attitude of the organisers is not surprising, they want the money and not the issues, so always wash their hands of it and hide behind their T&Cs. Having slid down most tracks in the UK and a number around Europe, I know what you feel like the first time it happens, good news is apart from the pain, physical and financial, you’ll bounce back and can go again, as it does get addictive even when you develop a close relationship with Timmy Tarmac. Mend up fast matey and hopefully next time on will be more rewarding.
Sorry to hear this and hope you mend soon. I thought the track day organisers were there to keep things safe while not taking anything away from the attendees sharing that responsibility. If they could see that coming they should have hauled him off straight away to put him right. Given that they didn't do that and he then t-boned you causing a trip in the ambulance it seems completely negligent to let him continue on track. As for the guy himself... I mean we all have responsibility to look after ourselves and everyone else so to completely fuck up in that respect and then not have the decency to come and find you and make sure that you're ok and at the very least apologise just marks him out to be an utter ***t. Bollock the organisers and make sure they know that you expect better of them, fix the bike and get better soon. See you at Bedford again next year. Take care.
Doesn't work that way I am afraid. Firstly, sorry to hear about your off and I hope you make a full and speedy recovery. I was involved in a case 18 months or so ago which has only just been heard in court where one of the instructors on a track day was wiped out due to bad organisation and a complete lack of observing the rules on the part of the track day organisers. Rider suffered life changing injuries and a brain injury and can no longer work as an HGV driver. I worked my b@llocks off getting all the evidence to show that the organisers were negligent (In short they let a group of novices out on track whilst a fast group were still riding and the instructor hurt was in the fast group). The case went to trial and the track day company introduced a load of made up evidence and the court ignored and/or disregarded the substantial arguments to their defence, and found in the track day organisers favour. It was a catalogue of incompetence, ignoring their own rules and lying (which was substantiated by other instructors and witnesses) but stil the court believed the defendants. It was even considered as to whether the rider who hit our client could be held as a joint defendant as it was his negligence and lying that led to the crash (on top of the failure to observe the rules or the track day company to enforce the rules), but that was deemed a non starter from the outset. So the chances of proving liability against anyone in this case is going to be slim to non I am afraid. As far as getting your leathers repaired, yes they can be repaired providing it is done by someone who actually knows what they are doing and not by some fashion leather retailer (as an example) but in reality, the chances are that it would be cheaper to buy a new set of leathers. If you have all risk house contents insurance, they and your helmet may be coverered under "Goods temporarily away from the home" I have claimed for a helmet and leathers on a policy in the past, but it was a few years ago, but non the less may be worth looking at your policy.
Sounds shit mate, hope you're on the mend soon. Regarding the insurance aspect, I think you'd need to have two policies to be fully covered. When I've looked at the track day bike insurance the excess has always been ridiculous (£1000+), so to replace fairings and pegs etc, if it's already a track bike isn't worth it. would only be worth a claim if you serious managed the bike. Might be worth it if you only do a few and have an expensive bike, would personally make it too expensive for me (bike insurance wise). To cover the injury side I think you need some type of personal accident plan/sports insurance that covered track days. Not looked into that so no idea how much it costs. A know medical insurance for racers can be pretty expensive. If MCE provide free track day cover be interesting what the excess is, I've never had a policy with them.
I know that it's very far away from you, but check this out: https://www.facebook.com/pajopele/posts/2051077391692731 I'm sure someone around your area would do similar repairs
The comment from @ TC is valuable ref home insurance. I binned it at a track (all by myself I might add ) and my missus rang our house contents People who readily accepted they would cover helmet. Gloves ,leathers etc So I was only left with fixing the bike which was great really. As for blaming organisers etc your on a non starter it was the first session so if they were going to have a word with him it would have been after the session in any event. Anyway as much I feel for the op its caveat emptor for me, buyer beware! We all know whats at risk on track yet we still pay for the thrill and if it goes pear shaped then that's just tough. I'm not dissing anyone here and its a pretty crap day when it does go wrong but as adults we know, understood and signed a piece of paper to accept those risks no matter how the risk presents itself on the track. Anyway hope you get fixed up soon and make sure you ring your house contents insurer you may just find your covered for some of those out of pocket expenses. Good luck
Thanks for all the comments everyone. I do happen to be insured with MCE so I’ll take a look at the details of the policy. Unfortunately this is the first year in a while I’ve not taken out a house contents policy! I don’t really expect to get much response out of MSV (and certainly won’t be pursuing it legally - TC your story sounds APPALLING), but I do think they need to know about this shit. I understand that they can’t always identify fault when riders come together, but when there is a clearly observed incident that is as obvious as this they ought to have something in their Ts and Cs that says they reserve the right to end the offending riders day immediately. And to point this out in the briefing. Would it change behaviour? I hope so, and that’s the point really. That’s all I would like from them, and I don’t think it’s unreasonable. If this had happened on the road he’d have been looking at being charged with dangerous driving, at the least. Still in hospital by the way. Had to bail on my freelance work for this week so that’s another grand in the hole.
